Jammu, Aug 5: In a fresh development to infamous cross voting fiasco during Legislative Council elections, Anil Gupta, son of former union minister Chaman Lal Gupta, Friday filed a defamation suit for Rs 25 crore against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Shamsher Singh Manhas and party’s senior leader Sat Sharma as compensation for maligning his image and damaging his personal reputation.
 The court after hearing the counsels appearing for Gupta issued summons to the BJP leader directing them to appear in person, through pleader or recognized agent to file their written statement by or before August 17.
 Anil Gupta while filing a suit for lowering his public image gave all circumstantial evidences that led to his resignation from the BJP as state vice president. He charged that the BJP state president had some differences with his father and he (Manhas) in order to settle scores his father targeted him to lower his public image and integrity.
 In the suit it has been submitted that state BJP president appears to have drafted and signed a show cause notice dated April 26, 2011 leveling “false, frivolous and baseless” allegations against the plaintiff which could only lower him in the estimation of public at large, tarnish his image of the person integrity and successful businessman as well as hard working political worker. This notice was not immediately sent or served upon the plaintiff. It was selectively leaked to the Press but he received later.
 According to the show cause notice issued by the state BJP president with reference number JKBJP/P/2319/11 addressed to Anil Gupta, it has been said that “whereas it has been widely reported in media, as well as party workers that you had played a pivotal role in persuading some party MLAs to refrain from voting for party’s candidates and instead vote for NC/Congress Candidates in recent elections to MLC and thus brought party in disrepute: whereas Your conduct constitutes flagrant violation of party constitution and party's code of conduct, and thereby rendered your continuance in the party undesirable and untenable. Now, in view of the above you are hereby suspended from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect. Your are also called upon, to show cause as to why you may not be expelled from the party permanently, within seven days, failing which, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in your defence in the matter”.It is submitted in the suit that the plaintiff made it clear that he resigned from the Party till Mr. Shamsher Singh continues to be State President of BJP. It was alleged in the suit that Manhas was through out in conspiracy with Sat Sharma they in order to further defame the applicant issued purportingly expulsion order on June 15, 2011 signed by Sat Sharma and this expulsion order was verbally circulated in general public to malign the plaintiff and lower him in the estimation of the public at large and filed this suit with the prayer for issuance of a decree of Rs 25 crores in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants with the cost of the proceedings.
 The 2nd Additional Sessions Judge Jammu Vinod Chatterji Koul after hearing Advocates Aditya Gupta and Munish Sharma summoned the BJP leaders to appear in person before the court on August 17.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 5 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 5 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST